US (12/24/13) — Christmas Day has become a big day in the movie business. Many studios now release big-budget films on December 25th, and audiences have recently flocked to the theaters to see some of their favorite stars in films that opened on Christmas Day or shortly before.

According to Box Office Mojo, an online movie publication and box office reporting service, no film has fared better on Christmas Day than "Sherlock Holmes," which premiered on December 25, 2009, earning just under $25 million in its initial day onscreen. "Avatar," the 2009 James Cameron film that would go on to gross $760 million in domestic receipts alone, holds the distinction of earning the second most money on Christmas Day, when it earned a little more than $23 million despite having already been out in the theaters one full week. The 2004 Ben Stiller film "Meet the Fockers" opened three days before Christmas but still managed to earn $19.5 million on Christmas Day. A pair of 2012 films, the latest big screenadaptation of "Les Miserables" ($18 million) and Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" ($15 million), round out the top five highest grossing films on Christmas Day. Numerous films are slated to open on December 25, 2013, including Stiller's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit," starring Chris Pine and Kevin Costner.